


Ohmiya SK 2012

by icecreamsuki



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-19
Updated: 2013-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-24 00:48:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/933140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icecreamsuki/pseuds/icecreamsuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Nino learned that the fans voted for it, he was thrilled. The moment Jun confirmed that the agency gave their approval for it, he was ecstatic. Ohmiya SK, 2012. It had a good ring to it. They would be able to make a revival! ‘Taka and Yuji reunited. Just how awesome was that?’ he thought.<br/>Little did he know that the other half of the combi was probably not as thrilled as he was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ohmiya SK 2012

**Author's Note:**

> setting was during concert preparations for Arafes

-=-

The first time Nino learned that the fans voted for it, he was thrilled. The moment Jun confirmed that the agency gave their approval for it, he was ecstatic. Ohmiya SK, 2012. It had a good ring to it. They would be able to make a revival! ‘Taka and Yuji reunited. Just how awesome was that?’ he thought.

He was acting restless in excitement to go back home and watch their old DVD’s to get an idea on what they could do for a skit this time around. He was thinking that perhaps they can infuse the modern flavour of Ohmiya, possibly infusing allusions on fishing, card magic and gaming so the fans could relate.

Nino was free to come up with anything; Ohno would generously give approval on any crazy and bizarre idea he came up with anyway. That’s what Nino liked about Ohno – he was always so considerate.

-=-

Ohno was stressed over the choreography for Arafes. They usually hire professionals to come up with choreography for their songs. However, since Arafes was a festival made by Arashi, they figured that it could be a good gift for the fans if they themselves come up with the choreography. Now, Ohno had always been the one who came up with the dance routine for his concert solos. However, he realized just recently how burdensome it was to come up with a dance routine for  _five people_. A lot of things need to be taken into account: the formation, the balance, the technicalities and whether the other four could learn the choreography in time and execute it properly. It would have been easier if it was a solo since he could easily ad lib if he forgot a detail in the dance. It was different for a group of five.

He was troubled about it and he figured he could consult Nino regarding this.

It was already a sort of established tradition that during the season of concert rehearsals, it was always Nino who got the first glimpse of how Ohno’s dance routine would be like. After Ohno came up with the general dance steps, he would consult Nino for suggestions and refinement. Not the choreographer, not the director – it was always Nino.

-=-

They were filming for VS Arashi, and Ohno couldn’t help but notice that Nino was preoccupied with something. Nino has a sort of faraway stare with a crease between his eyebrows. Yet when the camera focused on him, he was back to his neutral self. Ohno observed this and appreciated Nino’s professionalism.

However, Ohno was always the first to know if something was bothering Nino. The fact that he didn’t know what was bothering Nino now – not even an inkling of it – bothered him in turn.

It was the end of Koro Koro Viking and Arashi team got more points and took the lead after a surprising turn of events: Aiba was able to land the ball on the +50 area three times in a row.

The whole studio was cheering in high spirits. Ohno attempted to make a high-five but Nino was already facing the other way.

Ohno put down his hands, mortified. He was hoping nobody noticed.

Was it a gag? Was Nino trying to play dumb that he didn’t see Ohno’s hand? Or did Nino do it on purpose in avoidance? It pained Ohno that it could be the third.

It was only then that Ohno realized that there was always that distance – that mere fraction of an inch – that separated them, which Ohno deeply despised. Since when did it start? Ohno scolded himself inwardly for not being able to notice that glaring detail.

 Was it because they were getting older (heck, they’re on their thirties already!) that such childish and immature things were no longer acceptable? Was Nino reprimanded by the agency and was made to stop such actions no matter how much the fans adore it? Or was it Nino himself who chose to stop on his own accord simply because he didn’t like doing skinship with Ohno anymore? Not knowing the reason bothered Ohno but he was still a bit glad and relieved to be spared from being molested on national television by no other than Nino himself.

He was curious about it, though.

With a gush of self-pity and zero self-esteem, he concluded that Nino must have gotten tired of doing skinship with him. Who would want to touch an “ _old man”_  like how Nino used to call him often?

Used to, that is. Now it’s either Ohno-san or Leader. Ohno knew that there probably was a hint of endearment in Nino calling him formally as such. However, he missed being called by nicknames such as Oh-chan and Sato-pi. It made him feel closer to the younger man.

-=-

The filming ended smoothly and in time, which made Nino inwardly jump in delight. He would be able to go home!

Ohno wanted to invite Nino for a drink, or maybe invite him to come over to his place. It felt to him like it had been ages since they hang out together. He wanted to consult about the choreography, but more than that, just being with Nino could magically dispel his stress and troubles away for a while.

However, before Ohno could even open his mouth, Nino was already dashing out of the greenroom ready to head home at the soonest possible time.

-=-

“If I do it, there won’t be any problem right?!” Ohno spat with a tinge of anger and frustration. Frustration is a peculiar thing; it makes you act irrationally and unable to control yourself.

Jun was taken aback by the sudden outburst. “W-what’s wrong, Leader?” he asked uncertainly. He broke the news they would do an Ohmiya SK skit in the approaching Arafes. Jun realized that he forgot to inform their Leader regarding this.

Ohno ignored him and just continued packing, or rather noisily and carelessly slamming his stuff into his bag.

Jun was unsure how to deal with this type of Ohno Satoshi. He was used to their leader being calm and serene. It was his first time seeing Ohno that way. The usually composed Matsumoto Jun did not know how to react to a seemingly furious Ohno Satoshi. It was usually the other way around in the case of the two of them. And Jun realized just how hard it was to deal with his ill-tempered character, now that he was faced with a character similar to how he sometimes was.

“Who would want to do something so stupid and pointless anyway?” Ohno said rhetorically, his voice smothered in spite.

“I- I thought you enjoyed doing it,” Jun said in a helpless attempt to pacify Ohno.

 _“It doesn’t matter,”_  Ohno said softly, but loud enough to be heard beyond the slightly ajar door of the greenroom. The sound traveled from his lips, through the air, and to the strained ears of the eavesdropper standing sneakily on the other side of the door.

Neither of the two knew that someone heard their conversation.

-=-

Nino felt pathetic. He realized he was getting ahead of himself. He was the only one delighting in the news of Ohmiya SK’s revival.

It made him feel nostalgic on how it all started.

With more than twelve bottles scattered on the living room table and a considerable amount of beer spilled on the rug below, the brains of two individuals named Ohno and Ninomiya were overcome by alcohol. They were having a rather interesting conversation about the okama bars Ohno frequented, Matsujun’s striking fashion sense and ridiculous long hair, how Sho always wore tank tops to pride on his air muscles, how Aiba had a fetish over girls with short skirt and knee-high socks, about comedians and manzai duos who make skits to make people laugh, and a lot of mumbo jumbo in between.

And thus, Ohmiya SK was born on a drunken night. And it escalated from that. And it lay low due to orders from the higher-ups. And then it is back!

But the thrill and excitement about it dissolved.  _‘Was I pushing Leader around, forcing him into doing stuff that he didn’t want?_ ’ Nino sadly wondered.

He played and replayed the videos of their Ohmiya SK skits – ‘ _the good times’_  as he liked to call it. He focused his attention solely on Ohno’s verbal and non-verbal gestures yet he couldn’t find a trace of dislike during the whole skit. Embarrassment, perhaps, but there was no dislike.

Nino was starting to get into a hopeful, good mood as he watched video after video – that perhaps Ohno was enjoying it as much as he did after all.

But then it hit him, Ohno was an outstanding actor.

-=-

It was possible that Nino was only harboring false assumptions, which just distract him from work. However, he was too afraid to ask Ohno about the truth. He was contented with having a light atmosphere around Ohno. He didn’t want to risk complicating the special friendship they have with a stupid confrontation.

However, Nino knew that it had to be done.

“Ne, Ohno-san, do you enjoy doing our Ohmiya SK skits?” Nino suddenly asked seriously, focusing his attention on Ohno. They were sitting on the wooden floor, leaning against the mirror of the dance room. It was just the two of them waiting for the others to arrive.

Ohno felt uncomfortable and intimidated by Nino’s unwavering stare. “O- Of course, I enjoy it,” he muttered.

Ohno was terrified to see Nino’s reaction. He kept his gaze on the sheet music he was holding, so he was unable to see the roll of Nino’s eyes.

 _‘Liar,’_  Nino thought cruelly.

Ohno’s grip on the paper unconsciously tightened as he mustered all courage to ask Nino the same question.

“Do- do you enjoy doing our Ohmiya SK skits?” Ohno softly asked, unsure.

There was no reply for Nino was too preoccupied with sadness tinged with guilt for forcing Ohno into something he didn’t want. After all these years, he was only pushing Ohno to do  _something so stupid and pointless_.

 _‘I should have realized sooner,’_  Nino thought sadly as he closed his eyes to rest.

There was no reply from Nino; Ohno took it as a ‘no.’

-=-=-

“Oh-chan! Nino! Look what I came up with!” Aiba exclaimed, energetic as always. “I finished it earlier this morning!”

They glanced up and saw Aiba carrying a contraption of four life-size puppets wearing shiny tank-top and shorts with metal poles connecting them at the limbs. Aiba was carrying 2 of those contraptions, amounting to a total of 8 puppets. It was a ridiculous sight to say the least.

“What are those, scarecrows? Are you trying to be a farmer now, Aiba-chan?” Nino teased before he had a good look of what Aiba was holding.

“Stupid! They’re not scarecrows! How rude!” Aiba whined.

Jun was already starting to develop a headache with all the noise at an early hour of the morning. “Just shut up and tell us what you intend those to be!” he said in exasperation.

“Ha~i! I made this for your Ohmiya SK skit! This way you can have ‘back-up dancers’ even without the juniors!” Aiba said excitedly as he admired his work. As expected of Aiba to come up with strange but interesting things. As expected of the Miracle Boy.

“Very clever, Aiba-chan,” Sho commended. “Very clever.”

“You didn’t really do it, did you? You were just lolling around in the greenroom every time I see you,” Jun said in irritation.

Aiba was not surprised that Jun would say something mean but honest, so he just faked being offended, “Matsujun! You don’t have to be so harsh!”

Nino heartily laughed at the exchange between his friends. Also, he pondered on the irony that Sakurai Sho, who was supposedly the most intelligent among the five of them, was praising Aiba for being  _clever_.

Nino’s laughter, however, acted like a catalyst that triggered Ohno’s heart to shatter invisibly. He realized that he couldn’t make Nino laugh that way anymore.

How he missed that laugh! How he missed being the reason for that laugh!

Ohno was being quiet and just sported a smile – a fake and strained smile that did not escape Sho’s notice. 

-=-

That night, they went out drinking, or rather Sho dragged Ohno to go drinking and the latter didn’t have enough energy to argue.

“Nino told me something about doing a Sakumiya SK instead,” Sho blurted out as he carefully watched Ohno’s reaction while they were settled on the counter seats of a bar.

Ohno swiftly turned his head, eyes sharp, startled.

“Of course I didn’t agree,” Sho said waving his hand to stress his point. “But, is there something wrong between the two of you?” he asked seriously.

Ohno was slightly embarrassed by his panicked reaction. He rested his chin on his right hand, with his palm covering his mouth and his fingers hiding his flushed cheeks.

“On the contrary, maybe it would be better if you do a Sakumiya SK instead,” Ohno said resignedly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t conceal the bitterness in his voice. And Sho noticed it. Sho notices a lot of things.

Ohno was an actor, for crying out loud, yet when it comes to his own genuine emotions, it was just hard for him to fake. Add that to the list of things that frustrated him at the moment.

“Give me a good reason why,” Sho said firmly and rather strictly, as if a teacher demanding an honest excuse from a student who suddenly absented from class.

“Because you can give the impression that you’re enjoying it; I can’t do that.”

Ohno could tell that Sho didn’t believe his lame excuse. Ohno could tell that Sho realized that something was definitely wrong.

“Satoshi-kun, you’re being unprofessional,” Sho said seriously as he took a sip from his draft beer.

“Yeah, maybe I am.”

“And you’re being stupid.”

“Yeah..”

-=-=-

Nino laughed sourly as an idea sparked in his head while staring at their props for the Ohmiya SK skit.

“Contraptions of life-size puppets. How appropriate. We’re puppets of the agency anyway,” Nino said bitterly.

“Actually, it was the fans who voted for it. Matsujun even had to argue with the higher-ups of the agency to make them agree to this,” Ohno said matter-of-factly.

Nino was annoyed that Ohno still had the guts to counter what he said just when their relationship was treading unsteady waters. It drove Nino into a worse mood. He clicked his tongue and looked away.

It was only then that Ohno realized that he said something unnecessary. He scolded himself inwardly for being stupid. Could anyone blame him? He saw the opportunity to have a random carefree conversation with Nino once again, and he latched on to it. He didn’t anticipate the reverse effect, though.

“We are puppets of the fans, then. How laughable,” Nino stood up from his squatting position and left the room with a deliberate banging of the door.

Ohno sighed and zipped his mouth shut as he rehearsed their skit alone.

-=-=-

Despite the hectic, jam-packed rehearsal schedule, and despite having a manager who was more than willing to drive him home, Ohno still opted to ride the train. He needed time to think and reflect inwardly. Besides, riding the train made him feel like a normal, everyday person having a normal, everyday life.

He dressed up in camouflage – a huge baseball cap and sunglasses. He felt fine wearing minimal camouflage. It was not like he was an outlaw, wanted for being Public Enemy Number 1. He didn’t mind fans seeing him as long as they didn’t disturb his peaceful existence with bombardment of requests for autograph and photographs. He was thankful Japanese fans were generally well-behaved.

Without warning, he felt a small piece of paper prodding his right hand. Ohno glanced at the owner of the hand through his tinted sunglasses, but the woman refused to look back. She kept holding her faraway gaze, appearing to be amused by the scenery beyond the glass window of the train.

Ohno quietly took the note for he didn’t see any harm in doing so. He counted a few seconds before he opened it and read the content.

 

_I didn’t want to make a fuss and alert everyone of the train about your presence._

_I just want you to know how much I want to see Ohmiya SK live in concert! I’m so excited! Looking forward to it!_

-           _A HUGE fan <3_

 

Ohno couldn’t help but notice the trace of a smile on her face. He appreciated her sensitivity for his welfare. Ohno kept her within his field of vision all throughout the train ride. When it was her stop, he watched her leave the cart. Upon reaching the platform outside, she looked back and tried to locate Ohno amidst the sea of people inside the train. As soon as she spotted him, she beamed widely.

It was because of people like her that he can keep doing his job.

-=-=-

 It was 3 days before Arafes and Jun was stressed like mad, being the main person in charge with the logistics and all. Despite being busy, he was still able to read the atmosphere between the other members. He was very much aware of the tension between Nino and Ohno, and his mind was already in a ruckus with thoughts on how to get those two back on track.

Jun came to the rehearsal room after having a meeting with those in charge of the moving stage to check for safety and functionality after one of the stages malfunctioned the day before.

The rehearsal room reeked of frustrated sighs, and the mood continued until they started practicing the dance routines.

Ohno tried to think of the fans who were looking forward to watching them live in concert, yet he felt weak. Ohno’s movements lacked energy and enthusiasm, while Nino kept messing up with his steps. Those two were always the fastest to learn the steps, but they were not in shape at the moment. Aiba was even outstanding compared to the two.

“How strange that you don’t grace the atmosphere now with your snarky remarks, Nino,” Jun said with a malicious tone.

“Shut up, J!” Nino spat back.

“I will if you stop being such an amateur! Get a grip, will you?” Sho could tell that Nino was about to answer back, which would only lead to a tense atmosphere, so he intervened right away.

“MatsuJun!” Sho warned. “Let’s take a break from dancing for a while.”

“Why don’t we watch our ever popular Ohmiya SK skit and see if they’ve polished their movements along with the script,” Jun proposed harshly.

Perhaps he woke up on the wrong side of bed. Perhaps he was just lacking sleep. Perhaps stress was taking its toll on him.

Matsumoto Jun was already at his breaking point.

Nino merely crossed his arms in front of his chest and refused to move an inch from where he was standing. He was the so-called resident brat in Arashi, but that was only his character for television. He was never much of a stubborn brat in real life.

At that point, something snapped inside Jun.

Jun fiercely snatched the puppet contraptions placed on the table and threw them on the wall, hitting hard. They fell on the floor, dirtied, with costumes in disarray and a couple of limbs splayed.

“Let’s just get rid of it if your hearts are not into it! You should have said so from the start so I didn’t have to literally beg the higher-ups into agreeing to this Ohmiya SK bullshit! What a waste of time and energy! Do as you please!” Jun said in rage before he stormed out of the room.

Sho followed Jun out and walked behind him. Jun abruptly stopped on his tracks when they were a considerable distance away from the rehearsal room.

“Was that an act to get those two to get their act together, or was it--?” Sho asked concernedly.

“A little of both, I guess.” Jun said as he leaned on the wall of the corridor and massaged his temple. “I guess I went overboard, but if that’s what it takes to make them realize the importance of this – of all of this – then so be it. I’ll just apologize to them later,” he reassured the older.

Sho wryly smiled. He appreciated Jun’s thoughtfulness despite the burden.

“What do you think happened?” Sho asked in hushed tones. “Ohno wouldn’t spill anything when we went out drinking the other night.”

“Yeah, and I bet it would take drowning Nino in alcohol before he gives even the slightest hint, and we couldn’t afford to do that since the concert is approaching,” Jun sighed.

-=-=-

“MatsuJun is really scaaaaaary!” Aiba said with a drawn-out vowel said to sound comical. He carefully picked up the puppet contraptions that Matsujun almost destroyed. Ohno quietly helped as well while Nino just moved to the side, sat on the floor with head bent down.

Aiba was given the privilege to design all the concert goods for Arafes – from T-shirts to jackets, and even the props for the most-awaited Ohmiya SK skit. He was thankful for being entrusted with such major elements in the concert. It was a huge responsibility, indeed.

Aiba exerted a lot of effort in the wish to make the concert a success. It was not a surprise that his heart shattered into pieces upon hearing the loud thud the puppet contraptions made upon hitting the wall. It broke his heart that something he conceptualized and helped construct was just being thrown around brutally like that.

Arashi was well-known as a group with a harmonious relationship with each other, yet there were times like this – times of discord and hurtful exchanges. Aiba felt like they were just fooling the fans and he felt guilty for that.

Nino knew very well that Aiba was trying his best to hold back his tears.

Nino felt miserable. He felt like trash.

-=-=-

 

“That bastard J! He was the one who destroyed this and he does nothing to fix it!” Nino said in irritation after he pricked himself with the sewing needle for the umpteenth time that night. Nino and Ohno forced Aiba to go home since the usual sunshine of the group didn’t seem to be feeling well at the moment. The Ohmiya duo was left to their own devices as they try to restore the props that Jun oh-so-elegantly manhandled.

Nino grudgingly watched Ohno sew the costumes with a certain grace comparable to the artist’s brush strokes when painting, precise and accurate. Those crafty fingers were really good with anything, Nino thought in awe.

“Oh-chan is really good at this. Maybe I should just leave the work to you. I bet you can finish it in no time,” Nino said, waiting for a nasty rebuttal yet none came.

“It’s been a while since you called me Oh-chan,” Ohno said pointedly after a brief moment of silence. He tried to appear indifferent about it yet in reality, his heart was clapping with joy.

“Ah, really? I didn’t notice,” Nino replied with a shrug as he reluctantly got back to work. “How creepy! Why are you smiling by yourself? Uwaaaaa, scary, scary, scary!”

“Nothing! It’s just that it feels like it’s been a while since we talked freely like this. I missed it,” the moment Ohno said it, he regretted it right away because it reeked of sappiness. At the back of his mind, he knew that Nino would verbally torture him for that so Ohno quickly tried to change the topic to turn the table back to Nino.

“You even brought up the idea of doing a Sakumiya SK instead. What was that all about, huh? The fans specifically requested for Ohmiya SK. We have a duty to the fans,” Ohno said in a tone as if he was lecturing a grade school kid.

“I didn’t want to force you into doing something you don’t want,” Nino said quietly.

“Wha- What made you say that?”

Nino heaved a deep sigh before answering, “I overheard your conversation with Jun. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but you were having a temper then, which was new, and I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation. I stayed outside the room for a while. The door was open; I could hear what you were talking about.”

“What were we talking about?” Ohno asked urgently.

Nino inwardly sighed at Ohno’s cluelessness.

“Done! I’m done repairing my puppets-slash-back-up-dancers!” Nino announced even though he wasn’t even halfway through.

“You’re not even done yet! Look at this!” Ohno said holding up the shiny shorts that were still frayed at the edges.

“You’re leaving? Aren’t you going to help me with this?” Ohno demanded, but as he said it, Nino’s hand was already resting on the doorknob, prepared to make an exit.

“No,” Nino replied simply before he left and neatly closed the door. Outside, his grip on the doorknob tightened.

Until the end, Nino still avoided the issue. He was terrified of the idea of confronting Ohno.

-

The doorbell started ringing, again and again until the owner of the apartment was finally stirred back to his senses. He tried to stand up and move for the purpose of maintaining normalcy in his life. He dragged his feet, one after the other as if they were made of heavy metal. All he wanted for the night was to be alone; couldn’t anyone understand that? He was complaining in his head. Yet his mind was empty. His soul was empty. He felt empty.

He was a robot with mechanically moving parts, lacking the vivacity of movement which he once upon a time possessed. Like a robot, unsuspecting of evil in this world, he mechanically opened the door to reveal his hollow self at the perusal of another.

The moment the door opened revealing Aiba with an uncharacteristically vacant expression on his face, Nino knew it was the right decision to come and visit.

Nino didn’t wait for the owner of the house to welcome him. He barged in on his own accord and made himself feel at home. Considering the number of times he had been there, he could already navigate himself around even with eyes closed. He directed his feet to the refrigerator in the kitchen and scooped two cans of beer. The living room lights were off and Aiba was sitting still on the couch, with only the light from the forgotten television gleaming on his face.

Nino steadied the cold can of beer between Aiba’s two hands before he sat on the couch as well and tried to pay attention on what was showing in the television. Yet at the corner of his eyes, he was carefully watching Aiba, praying that his friend would move naturally, that he would show some sign of emotion however reserved.

 _‘It was only in a burst of anger that J did that. He didn’t mean it. Of course he didn’t. It’s my fault as well; I drove him to his breaking point. Besides, any group can have petty fights and misunderstandings. That’s what makes us stronger, don’t you think?’_  Nino thought he should say to Aiba. However, as he glanced at Aiba, Nino kept those words inside and no sound escaped him.

As the cold can of beer was condensing into water slowly dripping from Aiba’s hand onto the worn-out carpet of the living room, tears were also falling from Aiba’s eyes.

Resting his head on the back of the couch, Nino knew that no words of consolation were necessary; Aiba had already figured things out.

Despite the number of times Nino pestered Aiba calling him idiot or stupid, Nino knew that it was just for show. Nino, more than anyone else in the group, knew that Aiba was more perceptive and insightful than people give him credit for.

It took ten minutes or so for Aiba’s tears to die down and dry up. Nino tried to pay attention to the show on the television. He gave Aiba some space by deliberately not looking at him for a while.

The sound of a can being opened broke the silence between the two. Aiba drained the can of beer in one gulp, followed by a loud burp afterwards. Face flushed, Aiba looked at Nino who was smirking at him.

“Thanks,” Aiba said quietly as he laid his empty can on the glass table before them. “Thanks, Nino.”

“Idiot,” Nino replied fondly.

Nino was glad he came. If Aiba was left in that state, Nino was sure Aiba would have broken down.

“Well then.. let’s order some Chinese food! My treat!” Aiba said, getting up from the couch with the usual energy Nino was accustomed to.

Taking the trouble to help Aiba get back on track had its own perks as well, Nino pondered happily as got up from the couch as well to get more beer.

-

The door of the rehearsal room opened slowly and creakily, marking the entrance of Matsumoto Jun. Upon entering he saw a pair of eyes staring at him, stunned.

 “What are you doing here?” they said at the same time.

Jun glanced at what Ohno was holding and the youngest bent his head down in apology.

He sighed. “I’m sorry, Leader. I didn’t mean to explode like that earlier. I was out of line,” Jun said as he squat near Ohno to try to examine just how much damage was inflicted on the puppets.

“No, you had a point. We were being unprofessional,” Ohno said as he watched Jun who was surveying the room.

“Where is the other one? Nino’s…” Jun wondered. He located it near the couch. As Jun was walking Ohno stroke up a conversation. “He was here about a quarter of an hour ago. And by his own words: ‘ _That bastard J! He was the one who destroyed this and he does nothing to fix it!’ “_

Jun heartily laughed at their leader’s impersonation of Nino. It was a masterpiece.

Jun continued with what Nino was working on. Luckily, he had more experience with needles and thread, making the work faster and more efficient.

“Ne, Jun. What were we talking about when I was having a temper that one time?” Ohno suddenly said. It was bothering him since the moment Nino mentioned it.

Jun looked at him incredulously; Ohno felt embarrassed.

“You said that your Ohmiya SK skits are stupid and pointless, and that you don’t enjoy doing them,” Jun said gravely.

It was as if Jun’s confirmation zapped him, as if electricity flowed throughout his system. Ohno’s grip laxed as the needle he was holding fell on the floor soundlessly.

He had a vague idea that he said horrible words back then. They must have been like bullets piercing Nino’s heart. All this time, Nino was hurt and he was to blame, Ohno thought.

“It must have hurt to hear something like that, huh?” Ohno said softly. “It must have been exhausting for him to try to act civilly towards me.”

“Leader,” Jun called out, shaking Ohno out of his reverie. “Just a simple apology would be enough, you know. Just straighten out the misunderstanding. You were just stressed at that time; I’m sure Nino would understand.” Jun offered gently.

Ohno remained silent as he mindlessly fiddled with the costume of one of the puppets.

“Besides, he misses you!” Jun snickered. “He’s torn because he thinks he should naturally stay upset and mad at you for saying those things, yet at the same time, he wants to spend time with you just like old times.”

“Since when have you been good at reading Nino?” Ohno teased.

“He’s unexpectedly easy to read sometimes, that brat,” Jun said lovingly. 

“You’re getting better than me when it comes to reading him,” Ohno said with a tinge of jealousy.

Jun just remained silent.

“Oi! You’re supposed to respond to comfort me! You should say something like,  _‘no Leader, you’re still the best at reading Nino!_ ’ Something like that!” Jun burst into laughter at their leader’s childishness.

After the laughter died down, Jun said, “you don’t need words of consolation. You, yourself, should know that.”

Ohno didn’t reply. He just continued working on the costume of the puppets, despite Jun’s confidence that Nino would forgive him, Ohno still had doubts. Above all, he felt sad that perhaps Nino was just pretending to be happy when they’re together when in reality Nino was hurting inside.

-

The following morning, Nino entered the rehearsal room and found two of his bandmates sprawled on the hard, wooden floor despite the glaring presence of a couch on the corner of the room.

‘How very irresponsible!’ Nino thought. ‘They could get backaches from this!’ Nino, of all people, knew how terrible backaches are, and the concert was just around the corner.

Nino walked as quietly as he could towards one of the little cabinets at the corner of the room. He squatted and took a peek at what was inside. He saw a purple blanket on top of the pile, neatly folded and elegant looking. He took it out and found a soft yellow blanket haphazardly folded and with a lot of glaring wrinkles. He used it once before but upon waking realized that he was already late for filming so he crammed it into the little cabinet. The blanket was at the same state as he left it. And it was rather strange that Nino was also currently in a wrinkled, unsteady emotional state when he found that blanket.

Nino placed the purple blanket on Jun where it rightfully belonged. After which, he laid the wrinkled soft yellow blanket on Ohno.

Nino was starting to feel sleepy just looking at the sleeping faces of the two. He laid Ohno’s head on his lap as he leaned against the glass mirror.

Nino fell asleep as well borrowing Ohno’s body heat to keep him warm.

-

Ohno woke up feeling the soft blanket which he was sure wasn’t there when he fell asleep. He noticed that he was laying his head on something warm and firm, but comfortable enough to give him rest. He breathed in deeply and recognized that scent – scent marked by baby soap instead of fancy perfumes used by the likes of Matsujun.

He wanted to savor the moment and savor that scent, but he felt a pair of eyes focusing on him. Ohno slowly opened his eyes and saw Sho on the corner of the room, sitting on the couch, watching him with a knowing smile on his face.

Ohno chose to be selfish. He got back to sleep just to feel Nino more. Ohno kept thinking that once Nino woke up, perhaps he wouldn’t have the chance to keep Nino close anymore. And he was terrified of that.

-

 

_“Ne, Ohno-san, please say something interesting.”_

_“Something interesting?”_

_“Yes, because it’s already an established tradition when it’s the two of us.”_

Ohno made a ridiculous face, taking advantage of his assumption that nobody was around.

 _“Grandpa, you messed with the steps again!”_  Ohno said in an exaggeratedly whiny voice similar to Nino’s.

Ohno was dramatizing a one-man skit featuring the Ohmiya pair in one of their segments called Share House.

“Wonderful! Very nice!“ Nino clapped. He was peeking through the gap in the door all along. Nino was able to watch the whole of Ohno’s one-man skit in all its glory. He tried to suppress a giggle but failed completely. He closed his eyes in mirth and covered his face with the crook of his elbow.

“That’s unfair, Ohno-san! You’re enjoying all by yourself.“ Nino said as he entered. The rest of the group hasn’t arrived yet and it was just the two of them.

 “Better than you pretending that you enjoy my company,” Ohno murmured.

“Huh? What did you say?” Nino asked sharply.

“Nothing! Let’s just – start rehearsals,” Ohno said, flustered. He didn’t expect blurting out in front of Nino that one thing that had been plaguing his mind and heart recently.

“Where did you come up with that idea?” Nino asked bluntly. By the tone of his voice, Ohno could tell that Nino was furious.

“Oh come one.. I still need to practice my solo, and you still need to practice yours,” Ohno said in a pathetic attempt to escape confrontation.

The room turned silent. Ohno shakily walked towards the music player to turn it on to stress his point. As he edged towards the table, he was straining his ears to listen to any movement coming from the other guy.

As Ohno was about to press the play button, his wrist was strongly grabbed, making him spin around. He found himself a foot away from Nino’s face.

The younger man was jutting his tongue out and sensually licking his middle finger. The older man was driven mad as Nino grazed the saliva-stained finger on Ohno’s exposed neck.

Nino’s touch was like electricity through his veins. The hair at the back of his neck stood at the sensation. He froze in place.

Too much for his sorry heart to handle, it was the hottest and sexiest thing Ohno had ever seen – far better than the groping they sported on national television. This one was intimate and full of intense bottled-up emotions.

It was only when he opened his eyes that he realized that he had closed it to savor the feeling and the look on Nino’s face.

He gulped in an attempt to calm himself down.

“I have perfected my solo already, thank you very much for your concern. Now tell me, where did you come up with that dumb idea that I do not enjoy your company?”

Ohno was too shaken by what Nino did that he couldn’t answer the question of the younger man.

After watching Ohno fidget uncomfortably, Nino gently held Ohno’s hands and led him to sit on the floor, Indian style. Nino placed his hands on Ohno’s knees and leaned forward to convey just how important and how serious his question was.

“What made you think I do not enjoy your company?” Nino asked quietly. He didn’t want to appear demanding. Nino wanted to give Ohno some space to collect his thoughts, yet the sensation of Nino’s breath ghosting on his face was doing nothing to calm Ohno down.

“Oh-chan?” Nino prodded patiently.

“Nothing… It’s just like…. you were distancing yourself from me recently,” Ohno said in a tiny voice as if admitting how absurd such a thought was. “Like you were always so eager to go home instead of spending time with me.”

“I wanted to go home early to watch DVD’s of our old Ohmiya SK skits to get idea on what we could do this time,” Nino said as he reached out to hold Ohno’s hand to emphasize his point.

Nino’s statement struck a chord within Ohno. The older man realized that there was something important that had to be done. “I’m sorry, Nino. I didn’t mean what I said back then. I was just too stressed with all the pressure. I wasn’t in the right mind. I-“

Ohno’s tirade was cut off when the situation he was in just minutes previously unfolded once again right before his eyes, like an unforgiving déjà vu.

With his head just a feet away from Ohno, Nino sucked on his middle finger, thoroughly lathering it with saliva before he circled his arm around Ohno’s neck, grazing the older man’s nape with his wet finger.

Pulse racing, heart pounding, palms sweating, Ohno relished on the sight and sensations for the second time around and he was convinced that Nino had, indeed, perfected his solo performance already.

“Look, I’ve made a mark on your nape~~” Nino sang the last line of his solo Gimmick Game. “I have been wondering about that. During my performance years ago, I made a mark on my  _neck_ , which is not quite accurate with the lyrics. Maybe I can borrow your nape for my solo, so I can do what I just did. And you can also borrow me for yours. We can exchange hip thrusts on stage for all I care.”

As if on cue, the rest of the members entered, albeit clueless of what had just transpired between the two.

Nino, like the actor that he was, easily gained composure upon the entrance of the rest. Ohno, on the other hand, stayed glued on his seat, appearing to be spacing out like his usual self, but was actually too stunned to move.

“Forgive our Leader, ne? He seemed to be in a shocked state,” Nino playfully announced to the newcomers.

-

“Leader! What’s with the black under your eyes?” Sho asked worriedly. It was the day before their concert and it worried him that Ohno was not getting enough rest.

“I – I couldn’t sleep well last night,” Ohno said defeatedly.

“How rare for you to be unable to sleep,” Jun said, full of nuances about Ohno falling asleep most of the day even during work, or rather especially during work.

“You should watch the News Zero clips of Sho-chan that I gave you. It works well for me,” Aiba offered.

“Oi! What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She heatedly demanded.

“What?” Aiba asked innocently. “I can barely absorb half of what you were saying. I get bored and sleepy.”

“Aiba…” Sho said in a mixture of indignation and surrender.

Nino entered and watched the other four with increased curiosity.

“Nino, did you sleep well last night?” Sho asked, as expected of the group’s mother hen.

Nino replied with a shrug, “same as usual, why?”

“Well, our dear Leader looks like a zombie,” Jun said lightly.

“Maybe he was too excited how we would show our love to the fans, he couldn’t fall asleep,” Nino said playfully as he landed his butt on the couch. As if on cue, Ohno laid his head on Nino’s lap to catch up on needed sleep.

“Looks like they have made up with each other,” Sho voiced out what the other two must be thinking as well.

“Looks like they are ready to make out with each other,” Aiba snickered. Being able to come up with perverted ideas reassured the rest of the group that Aiba was already feeling better.

All was well.

-=-=-

 

 


End file.
